But Bellarmine is peremptory that whosoeuer is vnder the decree of Gods election how peruerse and crosse soeuer he be to the meanes of his conuersion and perseuerance in grace a Respondeo potest ille libere gratiam repudiare sed certum est non repudia turum quia deus vocabit illum sic vt videt congruum illi esse vt vocantem non respuat Hoc enim modo gratia dei vera a nullo duro corde respuitur quoniam ad hoc datur vt cor emolliat Haec Bel. de Gra. lib. Arb. lib. 2. cap. 15. resp ad 2. obiect and in respect of the liberty of his will may be yeelded to be such an one as may possibly refuse grace yet it is certaine that he will not refuse it because God will call him in such manner as may best agree to his disposition to the end that he might not reiect God calling him For by this meanes it comes to passe that the true grace of God is refused of no hard heart because grace is giuen to this very purpose that it might mollify the heart And all this hee speaketh to shew that Gods decree cannot faile but that all who are elected freely to true grace are as freely elected to glory and doe as certainely obtaine the one as they doe the other But yet some may here obiect one thing more and that is this The Church teacheth to beleeue all the elect to be regenerate actually and not only initially as you say Why may not any man expound it in that sense as well as in yours the termes are generall Seeing this child is regenerate c. Answ If by Actuall regeneration be meant an actuall change of the heart by the infusion and operation of particular habits of grace the best expositors of the Doctrine of our Church run otherwise and the very doctrine of the Church doth it selfe declare the contrary in the ordinary course of such as liuâ— tâ— yeares For expositors take M. Rogers in the place before cited where he is allowed to deliuer this to be the sense of the Church In some the sacraments doe effectually worke in processe of time by the helpe of Gods word read or preached which engendereth faith such is the estate principally of infants elected vnto life saluation and encreasing in yeares Å¿ in Art 25. prop. 3. And this booke hath beene printed with publique allowance many times * Yea this booke came abroad wâ—th iniunction from the Arch-B shop that thâ—n wâ—s that thâ—â—e should be one of them bâ—ught for every Parâ—sh in the Prâ—uinâ—e of Câ—â—â—â—bâ—ry And 〈◊〉 it now be onâ—e worth nothing If the Church will not be tryed by him then marke what Mr Hooker hath to this purpose Baptisme is a sacrament which God hath instituted in his Church to the end that they which receiue the same might thereby â—e incorporated into Christ so through his most pretious merit obteyne as well that sauing grace of imputation which taketh away all former guiltinesse as also that infused Diuine virtue of the Holy Ghost whiâ—h giueth to the powers of the soule their first disposition toward FVTVRE NEWNESSE OF LIFE f ibid. â—op sect 60. But you will say the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of our booke are plaine True so is HOC EST CORPVS MEVM for you know what yet you and I know these words must be expounded according to the true sense of them explained by other Scriptures which make plainly against both Trans-substantiation and Consubstantiation So then the words of our booke in the Leiturgy must admit of what sense our Doctrine elsewhere doth set vpon it Now our Doctrine is it selfe cleare against certaine actuall regeneration in Baptisme of infants liuing to yeares For in Act. 17. touching Predestination it is said they which be indued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to Gods purpose by his spirit working in DVE SEASON they through grace obey the calling they be iustified freely they be made the sonnes of God by Adoption c. So much of what Our Church holdeth herein CAP. 4. The point proued by authority of Scripture MY next worke is to make good the point in hand by Diuine and infallible Testimony of Holy Writt And this is that foundation only which I build vpon for proofe of the Position If any shall convince me to haue failed in this I will for euer abandon this opinion although it should be with perill of life what euer all the men and Churches in the world should professe and bind me to beleeue to the contrary a Nemo mihi dicat O Quid dixit Donatus aut quid dixit Parmenianus aut Pontius aut quilibet illorum Quia nec catâ—olicis Episcopis consentiendum est sicubi forte falluntur vt contra canonica Dei scripturas aliquid sentiant Aug. de Vnit. Eccl cap. 10. Si enim ratio contra diuinarum scripturarum authoritatem redditur quamlibet acuta sit fallit verisimilitudine nam vera esse non potest Idem epist 7. ad Marcellin That I may more methodically proceed and dispatch more speedily that which I haue to alledg out of the Scriptures I must necessarily bind my selfe to the lawes of Argumentation wrapping vp the force of my Arguments in some plaine Syllogismes as as I haue done in the former chapter and confirming the seuerall propositions that need proofe by expresse scriptures expounded by such learned expositors as mine adversaries pretend most respect vnto By this course I shall be sure not to abuse my Readers if they be able to iudge of reason When they see it My first argument shall be drawne from Arg. 1 the Nature of Baptisme in respect of the seuerall Parts of it which the scripture continually ioynes together when it speakes of that Sacrament and I frame it thus Maior That which the Scriptures attribute to Baptisme as the cheife part and as it were the soule of that ordinance is ordinarily communicated to all the elect when they partake of Baptisme Minor But the Scriptures doe attribute the confirming of the Holy Ghost to that ordinance as a principall part of it Conclus Therefore it is consonant to the Scriptures that all elect infants baptized doe ordinarily receiue the spirit in Baptisme The Maior Proposition me thinkes should not be doubted of by any vnlesse by Sacramentarians for will any man of vnderstanding deny vnto the elect that wich the scriptures doe euery where attribute as the cheife part and as it were the soule and life of that ordinance of baptisme If any man shall doe so he must grant that elect infants doe receiue but a peece of baptisme the shell without the Kernell the body without the soule And if this be true to what end are they baptized If they be not euen in infancy capable of the principall part of baptisme why are they admitted to it How shall wee answere the Anabaptists who pleade
notwithstanding their dissent from me in this particular I must craue leaue to professe and protest before him that knoweth all things that my aime is not so much as in my secret thoughts to despise or disparage any of them hereby but only to set downe their arguments that thereby occasion might be taken more throughly to discusse this subiect It is true that I haue sometimes made vse of the same phrases first vsed by my friends to me yet I desire them to take notice that I haue only weighed their arguments impartially in the ballance of reason and truth without the least glaunce vpon any of their persons And if I could haue beene ascertained that none but they would euer haue lighted on the same obiections I could as willingly haue suppressed them as J doe the names of the obiectors But because what friends doe octiect in loue others may also presse to the preiudice of this truth I haue made bold to make those arguments thus publique that their mouthes may be stopped who else might happen to vrge the same with violence and passion enough and thinke them vnanswerable if there should no answeres be sent out to meet them For their sakes therfore haue J thus presumed on my friends whom I earnestly desire still to hold deare vnto me hoping they will not bethinke it to the publique good nor hold themselues disparaged hereby but rather reioice that they haue beene a meanes of a more exquisite debate of this point wherby the truth may be better knowne 3 I haue a request to all that shall vouchsafe to make vse of this booke that they will be at the paines to read ouer the whole or forbeare to censure it by any peece therof that they may happen to cast their eye vpon For in a point of controversy wherein method requires only explication in one part confirmation in another refutation in another and often references from one part of the discourse vnto other places thereof for avoiding of confusion and tedious repetitions it is impossible to receiue full satisfaction by reading any one peece only how satisfactorie soeuer it may proue when it is considered altogether and when the rest is pervsed and weighed as well as that branch on which hasty and forward censurers doe sometimes passe a sharpe and heavy sentence If you pervse the first part of this booke only without the residue yee may perhaps obiect divers things and remaine vnsatisfied because ye goe not on to the latter part wherein all such obiections together with answers to them doe present themselues in their proper rankes On the contrary if wee looke only on the latter part to see how the maine obiections be answered yee may sometimes haply sticke through your owne fault at some of the answeres because I take sundry things for graunted which ye may doubt of till ye haue read the former part wherein the same things are proued at large and to which in my answers the rules of Method often compell mee to referre you Farewell A Table of the severall Chapters of this Booke CAP. I. The Introduction declaring the Occasion and Necessity of this Treatise p. 1. CAP. II. The State of the Position pag. 11 CAP. III. The Agreement of this point to the Publike doctrine of our church p. 22 CAP. IV. The point proued by Authority of Scripture pag. 70 CAP. V. The iudgment of the Fathers of the Primitiue Church in this point pag. 117 CAP. VI. The Agreement of it to the confessions of Reformed Churches pag. 138 CAP. VII The Iudgement of Forraine Divines in this point p. 157. particularly of Calvine Chameir M. Bucer â— Martyr Musculus Fran Iunius Zanchius Danaeus Gerhardus Vossius CAP. VIII The Iudgment of some Divines of speciall note in our own Church p. 185 Bishop Iewel Doctor Whitaker Dr Francis White now L. Bishop of Norwitch D Davenant now L. Bishop of Salisbury D. Fulk and D. Featly CAP. IX Six Obiections against the maine Position answered pag. 231 CAP. X. Six other Obiections against the same Position answered p. 296 The principall Authors quoted in this Treatise as giuing testimony to the maine assertion handled herein Fathers Cyprianus Gregorius Nazien Athanasius Basilius Mag Chrysostomus Hieronymus Ambrosius Augustinus Confessions of Churches Heluetica Scoticana Belgica Gallicana Genevensis Argentinensis Augustana Saxonica Wirtembergica Palatini Forraine Diuines Ioannes Calvinus Petrus Martyr Hieron Zanchius Wolfgangus Musculus Fran. Iunius Aug Marloratus Mart. Bucerus David Pareus Lamb. Daneus Daniel Chameir Ger. Vossius English Divines Bishop Iewel Dr Whitaker Dr Fulke Dr Dauenant B. of Sarum Dr White B. of Norwitch Dr Featly Dr Ames Mr Richard Hooker Mr Thomas Rogers Mr Thomas Taylor D. of Divinity Mr. Aynsworth BAPTISMALL REGENERATION ORDINARILY COMmunicated to Elect Infants CHAP. 1. The introduction declaring the occasion and necessity of this treatise THere is no Ordinance set vp by Christ in his Church more vsefull and comfortable vnto a Christian throughout the whole course of his Militant condition then sacred Baptisme the Laver of regeneration and of the renewing of the Holy Ghost Nor is there any fountaine which the Arch-enimy of mankinde a Tit. 3.5 hath more endeauoured to trouble and corrupt with multiplicity of poisonous errors then that which is set open to all the inhabitants of spirituall Hierusalem for sinne and for vncleannesse b Zach. 13.1 For proofe hereof I shall not need to thrust any mans head so much as Within the doore of that Augaean stable of Popish absurdities we haue too many instances else where Some aduance Baptisme too high Others depresse it as much too low There are that hold it so absolutely necessary as that none can be saued without it On the contrary there are that in scorne call it Elementish water Others that thinke it a thing indifferent and deny it to infantes notwithstanding that to them belongs the kingdome of God c Mar. 10 14. Others that make it a bare signe and badge to distinguish the members of the visible Church from the rest of the World some in tearmes yeeld it to be somewhat more yet deny to it all present efficacy in vpon infants ordinarily in the act of administration Some grant an efficacy but such as is equally communicated to all infantes that are outwardly baptized Some admit the efficacy of it vnto remission of sinne in Infants elect but any present worke of the spirit vnto Regeneration in them they either flatly deny or refuse to acknowledge Against all these errors and particularly against the last the Church of England hath iustly opposed her selfe in her Publique Doctrine for the defence whereof haue I taken vpon me this difficult province The occasion this In the course of my ministry in mine own cure I was lately * In Hilary Terme 1627. cast vpon this point viz That all elect infants doe ordinarily in Baptisme receiue the spirit of Christ to seaze vpon them for Christ and to be in them
initiation into Christ and for their future actuall renovation in Gods good time if they liue to yeares of discretion and enioy the other ordinary meanes of Grace appointed of God to this end This Position I am now to make good to be agreeable to the Doctrine 1 Of the Church of England by which it appeares to be no priuate fancy 2 Of the Holy Scriptures vpon which this Doctrine of our Church is founded 3 Of the Ancient Fathers of best note in the truly Primitiue church 4 Of the Reformed churches beyond the Sea and particularly of Geneva 5 Of the most famous and eminent Divines both at home and abroad particularly of calvine and Dr Whitaker beside sundry others Lastly I will adde Answers to all the Obiections that euer I could heare of against this Assertion CAP. 3. This agrees to the Publique Doctrine of our Church BEfore I goe further I must aduertise the Reader of one thing constantly to be obserued throughout this Treatise and it is this Wheresoeuer I shall for brevities sake only say thus much that the Elect doe receiue the spirit in Baptisme my purpose is to haue it vnderstood with all those conditions and limitations before expressed in the stating of the Point So that it must alwaies bee thus interpreted viz That it is most agreeable to the Jnstitution of Christ that All Elect Jnfants that are baptised vnlesse in some extraordinary cases doe ordinarily receiue from Christ the Spirit in Baptisme for their first solemne initiation into Christ and for their future actuall renovation in Gods good time if they liue to yeares of discretion and enioy the other ordinary meanes of Grace appointed of God to this end This premized I may more securely goe on with my worke Nor shall any man that findes oftentimes in that which followes a more compendious expression of this Position haue cause to complaine that I deale ambiguously and sophistically because my resolution is to be alwaies tryed by this Conclusion so largely deliuered and so bounded as in the former Chapter you may behold it The first part of my taske is to make it good that this assertion is agreeable to the publique and established Doctrine of the Church of England And this I propound in the first place not as if I meant to tye any mans faith to beleeue the point meerely because the Church of England saith it For She will not assume so much Authority ouer any mans faith hauing declared her selfe expresly in the 21 Article of her Doctrine that euen Generall Councells which represent the whole Church of Christ on earth in things ordeined by them as necessary to salvation haue neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may bee declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture I vrge not then the Doctrine of our Church to proue the point by it as some haue giuen out but only to shew the agreement that it hath with our Publique Doctrine that no man might proclaime it to bee a peece either of Popery or Arminianisme nor yet a priuate conceit of mine owne dissonant from the Churches of Christ but that it is a branch of that truth to which all the Ministers of our Church either haue subscribed or ought so to doe and so are as deeply engaged in the defence of it as my selfe whom some of them either ignorant or carelesse of what they subscribed to doe now so much oppose That this accordeth to the Doctrine of our Church may appeare in one or two plaine Syllogismes the first whereof shall be this Syllogis 1. Maior That which the Church in the Publique Leiturgie thereof exhorteth requireth vs to pray for when any Infant presumed to be truly and indeed within the couenant of Grace is brought to baptisme and that which it also teacheth vs to pronounce concerning that and euery such infant so soone as he is baptised must needs bee granted to bee agreeable to the Publique Doctrine of our Church touching all elect Infants that are baptised ordinarily Minor But the Publique Leiturgie of our Church exhorteth and requireth vs at the baptizing of euery infant presumed to haue interest in the Couenant of Grace as being within Gods Election a That our Leiturgy hath an eye to the covenant of Grace and presumes of any particular infant that vnto him the kingdome of Heaven doth indeed belong and therevpoÌ„ pronounceth the child after baptisme is administred to be regenerate may appeare most evidently by this viz That it leadeth vs to that which our Saviour spake in the Gospell touching those infants that were brought vnto him blessed by him vpon this ground that theirs is the kingdome of heaven Not that all children haue right to the kingdome for Esau had none Rom. 9. Yet because men cannot see Gods secret decree they are not to make doubt of any particular but knowing that some infants are elected and haue right to the Kingdome vpon this ground they know for certaine that this Child is regenerate by the Spirit if he be elected and if to him doe belong the Kingdome of God And therefore our Church in charity pronounceth so much of every Child considered individually and apart because in charity shee presumeth that vnto that very particular belongs the Kingdome of God For vpon this ground is the following exhortation and assurance built which vpon this consideration saith Doubt yee not therefore but earnestly beleeue that hee will likewise favourably receiue these present Jnfâ—nts that he will embrace them with the armes of his mercy that he will giue vnto them the blessing of eternall life and make them partakers of his everlasting kingdome to pray for the Spirit of Regeneration to bee giuen vnto him and so soone as hee is baptised to conclude him to be regenerated with the Holy Spirit and accordingly to giue thankes for this in Prayer vnto God Conclus Therefore it is agreeable to the Publique and established doctrine of the Church of England that all elect Jnfants doe ordinarily receaue the spirit of Christ in Baptisme in such manner and sense as is before expressed The Maior Proposition cannot be doubted of vnlesse we shall say that the Doctrine and Leiturgie of our Church are contrary to one another which no man wel in his wits will affirme and yet subscribe to both The Minor or as some tearme it the Assumption is the only Proposition then that must be proued I pray you therefore with patience see it done in the severall branches of it There are in it these two particulars 1 The Church in her Leiturgie requireth vs to pray for the spirit of Christ to be communicated to every particular infant brought to baptisme presuming of the particular that he is within the election of Grace 2 She concludeth him to be regenerate so soone as he is baptised that is to haue receiued the Spirit of regeneration as the first principle thereof 1. For the former let the Leiturgie it selfe be produced wherein the